Cloud question (adobe screwing us?)

[Ivan Myles]

Three issues were raised: access to new features, paying for unused applications, and subscribing versus buying. The latter is a business decision that each customer should resolve based on individual needs — some companies buy their equipment while others lease; there are good reasons either way.

To access new features you can get a one-year Cloud subscription for $360 if you own CS3 or later. This may not be a significant expense if the new features are critical to your business. Consider subscribing for a year and then buy the 2014 release. Otherwise, just keep using your existing software.

Paying for unused applications is a valid concern, but it is also a matter of perspective. Ultimately you pay for what you need, and everything else is noise (or a free add-on, depending on your point of view). Upgrades are about $150 each for individual Creative Suite applications or $360 for Production Premium. Customers who use three or more Adobe products are not paying extra for Cloud membership (not in the first year, at least).

If I recall correctly, Adobe initially offered a Cloud subscription equivalent to Production Premium for $30/month. It is no longer available, but that might be because the entire suite is offered to existing users for same price. If the only option a year from now is the $500 Cloud membership, then it might make more sense to buy the 2014 upgrades for the applications you use.

[Ivan Myles]

Edit: $600 Cloud membership.

[Tom Daigon]

[Ivan M. Semeniuk] ” then it might make more sense to buy the 2014 upgrades for the applications you use.”

One of the points being made here is that Adobe has not made any mention of whether we CAN by a perpetual license (full ownership) of the software. Most Cloud promotion could lead you to believe that with CS Next1 this is not possible. Just monthly renting.

Tom Daigon
PrP / After Effects Editor
http://www.hdshotsandcuts.com
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxPrG3WUyz8
(Best viewed at 1080P and full screen)
HP Z820 Dual 2687
64GB ram
Dulce DQg2 16TB raid

[Petros Kolyvas]

And as I mentioned on another thread it’s even worse for small business where a perpetual license would be available to all users of a given machine. As it stands now, it seems Adobe wants $70/month per user of the cloud on a yearly basis (that’s $840 US/year per user, where we pay $350/year if we upgrade every year, per seat.) This could triple or quadruple our monthly service costs and would be wholly unacceptable, in part because it would be a clear cash grab. Sure, companies can charge whatever they want; doesn’t mean we have to buy their products. Once we’re paying $840/year a user, a number of options start to look a whole lot prettier.

—
There is no intuitive interface, not even the nipple. It’s all learned. – Bruce Ediger

[Aindreas Gallagher]

[Petros Kolyvas] “it seems Adobe wants $70/month per user of the cloud on a yearly basis”

where do you get that figure?

https://vimeo.com/user1590967/videos http://www.ogallchoir.net promo producer/editor.grading/motion graphics

[Ryan Holmes]

[Aindreas Gallagher] “where do you get that figure?”

Petros is figuring he has to buy the creative cloud for teams at $70/month ($50/month if he already owns a CS3 version or later). He has other options as well as I’ve already communicated – https://forums.creativecow.net/readpost/3/938421

There seems to be quite a bit of misinformation regarding the Creative Cloud, its requirements, and its capabilities. Now granted you can’t make people read the Adobe site which does have quite a bit of information on it, but maybe they need to market it more? Or more clearly?

People seem to be very confused over how it works, how much it costs, and if they have other options. I think Adobe needs to be more clear about this. Maybe put up a page showing cost breakdowns between the Cloud and traditional disc based ownership?

Ryan Holmes
http://www.ryanholmes.me
@CutColorPost

[Petros Kolyvas]

Here: https://www.adobe.com/ca/products/creativecloud/teams.html

Starting at $69.99 for a one year commitment.

All of our seats are volume license seats (Adobe LWS) so we can manage them in one place, as well as past licenses and versions. It’s not even clear if we could revert to the “single user” model for Creative Cloud.

—
There is no intuitive interface, not even the nipple. It’s all learned. – Bruce Ediger

[Petros Kolyvas]

If apps aren’t tied to an OS user account that’s a start (for now.) But what if that changes? I can’t forever be scared of the unknown for sure, but there’s a lot that’s very murky for those who don’t fit the “single user” model.

—
There is no intuitive interface, not even the nipple. It’s all learned. – Bruce Ediger

[Aindreas Gallagher]

[Ryan Holmes] “People seem to be very confused over how it works, how much it costs, and if they have other options. I think Adobe needs to be more clear about this. Maybe put up a page showing cost breakdowns between the Cloud and traditional disc based ownership?”

Yes. Even a google style comic breakdown even. There is a potential for herd FUD here, and that would be bad.

I’m guilty of not reading the basic offering as well – there is thread below where it’s mentioned that a 12 month pre-pay would be less of a freakout – I blabbed on about how that would be a great hypothetical idea at length.

annnd then there’s this:
“You can. You can buy 3 or 12 month pre-paid memberships. You should probably read more about it on Adobe’s page. It would answer many of your questions”

it would be a pretty neat idea if adobe did a moron’s (my) guide that shows the variety of offerings they’re putting in place.

But bar anything else, I swear- I would actually edit in PPro 7 tomorrow if I could. it looks fundamentally minted. from FCP7 you feel you could basically edit quite sweetly tomorrow off this demo alone: https://vimeo.com/63091543
seriously tho – you could.

Also, and I just watched this today, but: hello to you, my true ProRes timeline export friend, one minute spot exported in under 10 seconds
: https://vimeo.com/62438789

https://vimeo.com/user1590967/videos http://www.ogallchoir.net promo producer/editor.grading/motion graphics

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[Ivan Myles]

The quote in the original post comes from a December 2012 article describing new Photoshop features not included in the CS6 licensed product that were being made available to Cloud subscribers seven months after CS6 was released. Wouldn’t we expect new features to be offered via the Cloud throughout the year? How does that lead to the assumption that Adobe is withholding features from the next release or abandoning the sales/licensing model?